The world’s largest Muslim country, Indonesia, has long stood out for its unique embrace of tolerance, pluralism, and inclusiveness. In recent years, however, a wave of high-profile terrorist attacks and the rise of more militant forms of Islam have strained the country’s social fabric and raised questions about its vibrant but fledgling democracy. Meanwhile, NGOs such as LibForAll work to amplify the message of Indonesia’s traditional approach to Islam, which emphasizes spirituality rather than a stringent adherence to religious texts.
Does the conflict between radicalism and moderation in Indonesia mirror the global ideological struggle within Islam? Can Indonesian Islam serve as a model for an alternative to Wahhabism? How can NGOs promote tolerant Islam in Indonesia and elsewhere?
Using LibForAll’s efforts as a backdrop, Sadanand Dhume, a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at the Asia Society; Michael Ledeen of AEI; and C. Holland Taylor, chairman of LibForAll, will discuss these and other questions.
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